Tyrone Culver offers veteran option at free safety

Lining up with one of the youngest secondaries in the league against the likes of Tom Brady, Brett Favre and Joe Flacco can’t be a comforting thought for new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan and the rest of the Dolphins coaching staff. One way to avoid that is to have veteran Tyrone Culver earn the starting job at free safety.

Culver, who turns 27 on July 6, has quietly worked his way into a prominent backup role over his past two seasons in Miami and is competing with second-year man Chris Clemons and rookie Reshad Jones for the starting free safety job.

Tyrone Culver returns an interception during a game last season. (Damon Higgins/The Palm Beach Post)

“I’m happy with what I’ve done with the opportunities I’ve gotten,” Culver said Saturday at a charity event at the Dolphins’ indoor practice facility. “You always look back at the chances you’ve gotten and what you’ve done with them. I’m happy with where I am in my career.”

A sixth-round pick by Green Bay out of Fresno State in 2006, Culver played 14 games as a dime back for the Packers that season before being sidelined all of 2007 with a shoulder injury. Signed as a free agent by Miami in September 2008, he spent most of that season on special teams before moving into a more prominent role last year that featured his first two starts, against New England (Nov. 8) and the season finale vs. Pittsburgh (Jan. 3). He finished fourth in special-teams tackles with 13, had one interception and four passes defensed.

Clemons got the bulk of work with the first team in the first open OTA last week, but Culver said the two have actually shared reps so far. With four open sessions in a five-day span starting Friday, it’s possible a frontrunner could emerge.

Culver said he hasn’t gotten any feedback, positive or negative, as yet.

“It’s way too early,” he said. “Right now you’re just getting the movement back. You’ve been off for awhile and haven’t gotten that live action. So we’re just going out and getting that feel again, focusing on yourself and what you have to work on.”

Come what may, Culver said he and Clemons and the rest of the secondary don’t take the competition personally.

“The thing about football is it’s real competitive, but it’s competitive on the field. In between the lines, you’re out there competing. But it’s like a brotherhood; we have a strong relationship with each other in the locker room. Me, Chris, YB (Yeremiah Bell), we’ve all gotten along, during the offseason we get together too. There’s never any animosity.”

With the importance of having four starters working together as much as possible going into the season, it would be nice to have someone win the job sooner rather than later so he has time to get comfortable and create some chemistry with his fellow DBs. That’s one of many reasons this battle will bear watching from the first days of training camp.